Debt Relief (debt_relief) — What It Means, How to Fix It and How to Appeal (no_debt_relief)
At a Glance: What To Do First
Confirm the exact month showing debt_relief on your SRD status portal. Check whether you participated in or applied for any government debt relief programme during that specific month. If you received a debt relief benefit during the assessed month, the decline may be correct for that period. If you did not participate, if the benefit ended before the assessed month, or if the record is incorrectly linked to your ID, you have grounds to appeal using no_debt_relief. Month-specific written confirmation from the relevant programme administrator is the strongest evidence you can submit.
What Debt Relief Means on the SRD Portal
When your SRD application shows Debt Relief, the automated SRD check detected a debt relief programme record matched to your ID for the assessed month. Government-administered debt relief is classified as a form of financial support and can affect SRD eligibility because the SRD grant is specifically for people with no other income or government support during the assessed month.
The wording appears differently depending on which portal you are using:
SRD status portal (srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/status): Debt Relief
SRD appeals portal (srd.sassa.gov.za/appeals/appeal): debt_relief
Your appeal reason on the appeals portal: no_debt_relief
Because SRD is assessed per month, the question is not whether you have ever participated in a debt relief programme but whether the record was active and a benefit was received during the specific assessed month. If you received support in one month but not in the month being assessed, that month may still be appealable.
If you genuinely received a government debt relief benefit during the assessed month, an appeal for that period is unlikely to succeed. If the record is incorrect, outdated, or belongs to someone else, you have a valid basis to appeal.
Which Government Debt Relief Programmes Can Trigger This Decline
Several government-administered debt relief and financial support programmes have been operated in South Africa and their records can trigger this SRD decline. Understanding which programme may be linked to your ID helps you identify the right administrator to contact for confirmation.
COVID-19 TERS — Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme. Administered by the Department of Employment and Labour through the UIF. Provided temporary income replacement to employees whose employers were forced to close during COVID-19 lockdowns. If you received TERS payments, records were held under your ID in the UIF system. Even though TERS has ended, database records from that period may still appear as linked to your ID.
COVID-19 Debt Relief Fund for SMMEs. Administered by the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) and the Department of Small Business Development. Provided emergency loans and funding relief to qualifying small, medium, and micro enterprises during COVID-19. If you applied for or received funding under this scheme as a business owner, a record may be linked to your ID.
National Credit Act Debt Counselling. Administered through the National Credit Regulator (NCR). When a consumer enters formal debt counselling under the National Credit Act, a record is created and shared across the credit bureau system. Debt counselling is a formal legal process and may be detected in government database cross-checks.
Distressed Household Relief and Emergency Food Parcels. Various provincial and municipal government emergency relief programmes operated during COVID-19 lockdowns and natural disasters. Participation records may have been captured under ID numbers.
Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) related relief. Certain income support components of government employment stimulus programmes may have generated records linked to participant ID numbers.
If you are unsure which programme is linked to your ID, contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 and ask them which debt relief record triggered the decline for the assessed month. This helps you identify the correct administrator to approach for confirmation.
Common Causes Behind This SRD Decline
Active debt relief benefit during the assessed month. You received a payment or benefit from a government debt relief programme during the month in question. The decline may be correct.
Record not closed after programme ended. When government debt relief programmes conclude or your participation ends, the record should be updated or closed. This does not always happen immediately. Former participants can continue to show as active in the database for months after their last benefit was received.
Timing mismatch across months. A once-off debt relief payment processed in a specific month may appear in the database as covering multiple months, triggering declines for months where no actual payment was made.
Incorrect ID linkage. A debt relief record belonging to another person has been linked to your ID due to a data capture error during application processing. This is more likely where applications were processed manually or in bulk during high-volume emergency relief periods.
TERS legacy record. If you received TERS payments during the COVID-19 period, a UIF-linked relief record under your ID may still be detected by SRD checks even though TERS ended. The UIF record and the debt relief flag may not have been updated to reflect the conclusion of the scheme.
Debt counselling under the National Credit Act. If you entered formal debt counselling, this may have generated a record that SRD cross-checks detect as a form of structured debt relief support.
How To Identify and Contact the Relevant Programme Administrator
Before appealing, identify which programme is linked to your ID and contact the administrator for written confirmation covering the assessed month.
If you think the record is a TERS legacy record:
Contact the Department of Employment and Labour UIF at uif.labour.gov.za or call 0800 030 007 (free). Ask them to confirm whether any active relief record exists under your ID number and what the status of that record is.
If you think the record relates to the SMME Debt Relief Fund:
Contact the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) at sefa.org.za or call 012 748 9600. Alternatively contact the Department of Small Business Development at dsbd.gov.za.
If you think the record relates to debt counselling:
Contact the National Credit Regulator (NCR) at ncr.org.za or call 0860 627 627. Ask them to confirm your debt counselling status for the assessed month.
If you are unsure which programme triggered the decline:
Contact SASSA directly on 0800 60 10 11 and ask which specific debt relief record was detected for the assessed month. This narrows down which administrator you need to approach.
Copy and Paste Email Template
Subject: Request for Debt Relief Programme Status Confirmation — [Your ID Number] — SRD Decline: debt_relief
Message:
Dear [Programme Administrator Name],
I am writing to request official written confirmation of my participation status in any debt relief programme administered by your organisation for [Month Year]. My SRD R370 grant application was declined for this month with the reason Debt Relief (debt_relief). I believe this may be an error and require official confirmation to support my appeal to ITSAA.
Full name: [Your full name as on your ID] ID number: [Your 13-digit ID number] Month in question: [Month and Year]
Please confirm in writing whether any debt relief programme record exists under my ID number for [Month Year], whether any benefit or payment was made to me during this period, and whether the record was active during this month. If no record exists under my ID, please confirm this in writing so I can submit it as evidence with my SRD appeal.
Thank you.
Fast Checks and Fixes Before You Appeal
Confirm the exact month showing debt_relief on your SRD status portal. Write down the month before taking any other steps.
Think through any government debt relief programme you have applied for or participated in. This includes TERS during COVID-19 lockdowns, any SMME funding relief if you ran a small business, formal debt counselling through the NCR, or any municipal or provincial emergency relief programme.
Check your bank statement for the assessed month. Look for any deposits from a government programme administrator. If no programme payment appears for that month, your bank statement supports your claim that no benefit was received during that period.
Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 if you cannot identify which programme triggered the decline. Ask them to tell you specifically which record caused the debt_relief flag for the assessed month.
Once you have identified the programme, contact the relevant administrator using the template above and request written confirmation of your status for the assessed month.
Only proceed to appeal once you have official written confirmation covering the assessed month.
Portal Appeal Option for This Status: no_debt_relief
Select no_debt_relief on the SRD appeals portal only when your evidence clearly shows that the debt relief record does not apply to you for the assessed month or that no benefit was received during that period.
Evidence Checklist for no_debt_relief
All evidence must be specific to the assessed month. Month-specific wording in your confirmation letter is more important than the volume of documents submitted.
Official written confirmation from the programme administrator stating that you were not a beneficiary or participant during the assessed month, or that no record exists under your ID. This confirmation must reference the specific month and include your full name and ID number. This is your most important document.
Bank statement for the assessed month showing no debt relief benefit deposit during that period. A full month statement showing all transactions is more persuasive than a partial screenshot.
Certified copy of your South African ID document for written appeal submissions.
Portal screenshot showing the exact month and debt_relief wording.
SASSA helpline reference number if you contacted SASSA to identify which programme triggered the decline.
Written dispute statement if the record does not belong to you, clearly stating that you did not participate in any debt relief programme and that the record is incorrectly linked to your ID.
Do not submit a general affidavit stating you have no debts or are not in debt counselling without pairing it with official confirmation from the relevant programme administrator. A general statement alone is unlikely to be sufficient for ITSAA.
How To Submit Your SRD Appeal: no_debt_relief
Go to the official SRD appeals portal.
Enter your ID number and the phone number registered to your SRD application. Request the OTP and enter it to verify your identity. Select the specific month you are appealing. Each declined month must be appealed separately even if the reason is the same. Select no_debt_relief as your appeal reason. Upload your supporting documents with dates clearly visible. Accept the declaration and submit. You will receive an SMS confirming your appeal has been received.
Written Appeal for Cases Older Than 90 Days
If the 90-day online window has passed, the appeals portal will block the month you want to appeal. You can still submit a written appeal.
Download the official SASSA appeal form from sassa.gov.za. Complete the form for the specific declined month. Attach certified copies of your supporting documents with dates clearly visible. Submit in person at your nearest SASSA office or send by registered post to your provincial SASSA office. Keep your proof of submission. Include a covering letter explaining which month you are appealing, why the debt relief record does not apply to you for that month, and why the online deadline was missed.
Written appeals are reviewed by the same ITSAA process and carry the same weight as online submissions.
If Your SRD Appeal Is Declined
If ITSAA declines your appeal the outcome for that specific month is final through the internal process.
Before accepting the outcome, check the following:
Confirm you appealed the correct declined month. Check whether your confirmation letter referenced the specific assessed month or used general wording like “currently not a beneficiary” without naming the month. Check whether your bank statement covered the full assessed month with no programme deposit visible. If your documents were unclear or did not specifically address the assessed month, this is likely why the appeal failed.
If you still disagree after the final internal decision:
Judicial review through the High Court. You have 180 days from the final ITSAA decision to apply for judicial review under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA). This is a formal legal process and requires legal assistance to pursue effectively.
Free legal assistance. Legal Aid South Africa and Black Sash both provide free advice to grant applicants. Contact either organisation to understand whether your case has merit before deciding on a court process.
Correcting the record at source. If the debt relief record is incorrect, contact the relevant administrator and request that the incorrect record be removed or corrected. Once the record is corrected, future monthly SRD assessments should no longer be affected. This does not change the outcome for the already-declined month but prevents the problem from recurring.
Tips and Scam Awareness for Debt Relief Declines
Practical Tips That Improve Outcomes
Identify the specific programme before appealing. Submitting a general denial is less effective than submitting targeted confirmation from the specific administrator whose record triggered the decline. Contact SASSA first to find out which programme is involved, then approach that administrator directly.
Request month-specific wording. Ask the administrator to confirm your status for the specific month and year rather than just confirming your current status. The phrase “not a beneficiary or participant during [Month Year]” is more useful than “not currently enrolled.”
If you were in TERS during COVID-19 but believe the record should now be closed, contact the UIF directly and request confirmation that your TERS record has been closed and no active benefit is recorded on your ID.
If you are in formal debt counselling under the National Credit Act, note that this is a legal process and you may not be able to simply exit it without completing the programme or going through the correct legal channels. Contact your debt counsellor for advice on how this affects your SRD eligibility.
Recheck later months after a correction. Once the record is updated, future monthly SRD assessments should improve without requiring you to appeal each month separately.
Scam and Fraud Red Flags
Record removal scams. Do not pay anyone claiming they can remove a debt relief record or debt counselling flag from your ID. No private person or service has access to government programme databases or the NCR system. Record corrections must go through the relevant official administrator.
Fake confirmation letters. Do not purchase or use fabricated programme confirmation letters. ITSAA reviewers are experienced at identifying fraudulent documentation and submitting a fake letter is a criminal offence that will result in a permanent ban from the SRD grant.
OTP and PIN theft. Scammers may contact you claiming to be programme administrators or SASSA representatives and ask for your SRD PIN or OTP. Never share these with anyone.
Unofficial portals. Use only srd.sassa.gov.za for your appeal. Any other website offering to process SRD appeals or remove debt relief records is unofficial.
SRD appeals are completely free.
Summary: What To Do If You Are Declined for Debt Relief
- Confirm the exact month showing debt_relief on your SRD status portal.
- Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 to identify which specific programme triggered the decline for the assessed month.
- Contact the relevant programme administrator using the email template above and request written confirmation of your status for the assessed month.
- Check your bank statement for the assessed month to confirm no benefit was received during that period.
- Gather your supporting documents with dates clearly visible and specific to the assessed month.
- Submit your appeal at the SRD appeals portal selecting no_debt_relief within 90 days.
- If beyond 90 days, submit a written appeal with your documents at your nearest SASSA office.
- If your appeal is declined and you believe the decision is wrong, contact Legal Aid South Africa or Black Sash for free advice.
Debt Relief FAQs
Why does Debt Relief show on my SRD if I never joined a programme? The most likely cause is an incorrect ID linkage to another person’s programme record, or a legacy record from a programme such as TERS that has not yet been updated to reflect the programme’s conclusion. Contact SASSA to identify which record triggered the decline and then approach the relevant administrator for written confirmation.
I received TERS during COVID-19 lockdowns. Why is this still affecting my SRD? TERS ended but UIF-linked records from that period may still appear in the SRD cross-check system. Contact the Department of Employment and Labour UIF on 0800 030 007 and request written confirmation that your TERS record is closed and no active benefit is linked to your ID. Include this in your appeal.
I am in debt counselling. Does this automatically disqualify me from SRD? Being in formal debt counselling under the National Credit Act may trigger this decline if it is detected in the database cross-check. Whether it disqualifies you depends on what the SRD system detects for the assessed month. Contact SASSA to confirm whether your debt counselling record is the source of the decline and seek advice from your debt counsellor on how this interacts with your SRD eligibility.
I received a once-off debt relief payment in one month. Why am I being declined for multiple months? A once-off payment can sometimes appear in the database as covering multiple months depending on how the data is structured. This is a data error. Contact the programme administrator to confirm in writing which specific month the payment was made and that no benefit was received in the other months. Use this confirmation to appeal the months where no payment was actually made.
What if the debt relief record belongs to someone else? Submit a dispute statement, your official ID document, and any confirmation from the programme administrator that no record exists under your ID. Contact SASSA and the relevant administrator to report and correct the incorrect linkage. Include the SASSA reference number in your appeal.
Can later months be approved after my record is corrected? Yes. SRD is assessed monthly. Once the programme record is correctly updated or closed, future monthly assessments should no longer be affected. You do not need to appeal each future month once the underlying record is fixed.
What if the online portal blocks an older month? Submit a written appeal at your nearest SASSA office with your confirmation letter and supporting documents specific to the month you are challenging. The written process follows the same ITSAA review.
How do I avoid debt relief record scams? Use only official channels. Never pay anyone to remove a record. Report suspicious contact to SASSA on 0800 60 10 11.
Official References
- SRD status portal
- SRD appeals portal
- SRD appeals guidance
- SASSA website
- SASSA helpline: 0800 60 10 11 (free, Monday to Friday)
- SASSA WhatsApp: 082 046 8553
- Department of Employment and Labour UIF
- UIF helpline: 0800 030 007 (free)
- Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA)
- Department of Small Business Development
- National Credit Regulator
- NCR helpline: 0860 627 627
- Legal Aid South Africa
- Black Sash
Information on this page is sourced from official SASSA announcements and verified against www.sassa.gov.za. For official queries contact SASSA directly at www.sassa.gov.za or call 0800 60 10 11.
